Negan from The Walking Dead is a character that’s left quite a mark on pop culture over the last few years, but one teenager has brought the show into focus for controversy. The BBC reports that the teen attacked a 16-year-old boy with a bat fashioned to look like Negan’s weapon Lucille. Now, John Callis-Woolsey is headed to jail for eight years after the assault. His victim was hospitalized for nine months and will have a lifelong brain injury. The boy is under full-time care and can only walk with a frame at the moment. It’s a sad story made even more twisted by the fact that Woolsey did the Fortnite “Floss” dance after attacking the boy.
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After the public saw the pictures of the victim in recovery, the authorities were rightfully disgusted with the attack. That response is understandable after learning that the boy’s skull was smashed and the nails protruding from the bat only worsened the damage. The teenager is from Middleton-by-Wirksworth. Derby Crown Court held the proceedings, and Woolsey pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent. His co-defendant Kyle Cullan also faces 12 months in jail after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery. The original plot went awry and now multiple families have been changed forever by a senseless act of violence. The police statement echoes all of the sentiments and commends the survivor.
Detective Constable Derek Ellis said, “This was an act of extreme violence which was planned, orchestrated and carried out by a teenager for a somewhat trivial matter. His actions that night have dramatically altered the course of two young and bright promising lives, one of which was his own. The victim and his immediate family have had to come to terms with the consequences of that night. Their fight, spirit and support for each other has been nothing short of admirable.”
The mother of the victim also spoke out against violence in media, especially as it relates to television and video games.
“This was a mindless and unprovoked act of extreme violence,” she began. “I was shocked when I saw the hideous looking weapon that was used. I would like the producers and creators of such programmes to know the influence the content has on immature minds. The assault has changed our lives forever, my son is serving a life sentence and doctors have advised that he will remain disabled for the rest of his life.”
